Abstract: A baling apparatus of the type which is moved along a windrow of fodder and rolls a large bale in a baling chamber which has side plates to confine the ends of the bale. One side plate is mounted for lateral translatory movement, provided by a hydraulic cylinder unit, so as to reduce the confining pressure on the bale at the time of bale discharge. Bale formation and discharge are also improved by providing the baling chamber with a set of closely spaced, transversely extending rotatable rollers which support the bale during bale formation and discharge.

Abstract: A device for wrapping twine around a bale of fodder which is rolled in a baling chamber of an apparatus that moves along a windrow. The device has a twine arm which swings between a transversely extending rest position and a dispensing position extending rearwardly into the baling chamber, a twine clamp near the rest position of the free end of the twine arm, a twine cutting blade near the twine clamp, and a mechanism that operates automatically in response to swinging movement of the twine arm to release the twine clamp as the arm approaches dispensing position and to re-engage the clamp and sever the twine as the arm approaches rest position. The mechanism includes a tension spring that passes overcenter to rapidly release and engage the clamp.

Abstract: Apparatus for rolling a swath of fodder into a bale in contact with the ground includes a frame, a driven pickup shaft with several transversely spaced sets of fodder pickup tines the tips of which sweep the ground to roll fodder in the swath forwardly to form a spiral bale, bale compacting means in the form of endless bands with raddles therebetween which has a lower working run the rear of which is immediately above the tine tips and the front of which is near the front of the frame, a pair of disks which are journalled on the sides of the frame on a common axis and which support the ends of the raddles so the working run arches upwardly between the rear and the front, spring means tensioning the bands so that when a forming bale is larger than the disks the raddles heavily compress the fodder in the periphery of the bale, and a transverse, driven beater roll immediately forward of the disks which tend to beat fodder loosened by the raddles back into the forming bale.